it turns out that without some sort of "affordable housing" neither can keep around the people who actually show up and make the towns run
whereas the wealthy couldn't care less as long as their two weeks a year here are fun,
If a town doesn't run, if there's no where to eat out because there is no staff, if no one is fixing the potholes... then it won't be fun. The only way this battle is won is through a battle of attrition, with the lowest possible standard of living as the common denominator.
It's probably also relevant to note that at least where I am the affordable housing only goes to people who are already residents and make their living locally, theoretically, it shouldn't add to the population, it should just diversify the income level a bit, the reality is probably that it brings in a few people indirectly? also, our area is growing a ton regardless, the minor amount of affordable housing isn't really even a blip on the overall growth...
How is this not a negative feedback loop? If I want to live in a beautiful place, and I can get affordable housing, then wouldn't I be more willing to work for VR for a lower wage?
Full disclosure is that my wife runs a nonprofit that creates affordable housing locally, when she was getting it off the ground my opinion was very much the same as yours, no subsidized housing of any kind, which needless to say created a pretty stressful relationship for a bit... in the long term my outlook has softened a bit as the affordable housing has managed to keep around the people who love the place much more than the wealthy and fight to keep it an awesome place to live, that very well may not be the case for all, or even most affordable projects...
Sounds like my feral cat situation... but I haven't softened.
Here are my recommendations for those wanting to keep a mt town cool.
-Land Use zoning: Require high density urban developments with developer funded infrastructure (water, sewer, street). Maintain high level of service for these utilities. The goal is to make developments cost prohibitive.
-Support higher non-urban development standards/codes, with off-setting mitigation and conservation easements a requirement. Min 40 ac zoning, no accessory dwellings.
-Taxes on all real estate transactions to fund public land banks.
-Outlaw short-term rentals, or at least go to a permit system and require the owner live on site.
-Oppose high speed internet expansion
-Oppose all traffic projects
-Oppose all economic growth/tourism efforts.